Gear review, a year with some new pieces

Last winter I stopped off in Canada to let the winter pass, find a bit of money, and incidentally refurbish the bike and change a bit of equipment.
As it happens, I ended up working for MEC, which is the big Canadian outdoor shop, and I was able to change a few things without it costing me as much as it should have.

During this period, I had access to a lot of gear, which I was able to test, and so I spent a lot of time thinking about things and comparing.

Here are a few small changes and the feedback I've got!

• Electric pump cycplus
  
  I have to admit that I was sceptical at first. I didn't see the point of carrying around an electric pump. It's just one more thing, one more thing to charge, and you have to be careful.

  Then I started to use it, and to abandon my hand pump. Then I was able to help out friends at the side of the road by re-inflating their tyres in a matter of seconds.
  
  

  This meant that I was more inclined to inflate and deflate during track/asphalt transitions, something I'd been too lazy to do before, I have to admit.

  Fast, efficient, light and super easy to handle.

  The pump is also super robust, so you feel like you're holding a really good product.
  
  

  Big fan. Game changer as they say, because punctures and having to re-inflate tyres are no longer scary.

  I had a problem with the battery, and my customer service was super responsive and efficient.

  I can only recommend them!
  

  Click here

  
  

• Drone DJI mini 4 pro

It was part of the eternal procrastination, drone or no drone.
The choice is not a trivial one, for a number of reasons: price, size, fragility, border crossings and extra weight.

And then one day I had the opportunity to get one for just a few euros, long story short, so I snapped it up and took one, the offer was obviously far too good.

It's hard to vote for or against. It's not an object like any other, for the reasons mentioned above. But it's also an opportunity to give another dimension to photos and videos. It's an opportunity to take another look at places that look a bit dull from the ground, and once up in the sky reveal something that the bike can't, the privileged view of a bird.

The uses I've found for it, and the friends who have one, are quite varied and sometimes comical: fan, tool for finding bags stolen by coyotes, investigator of potential camping spots...

So when I get it flying and the scenery looks splendid from the air, I'm quite happy to drag it along. Sometimes it just stays in the bag for days and days.
Because you have to stop, prepare everything, fly, take photos, land and put it away. So sometimes I stop and wonder if it's really worth it.

• Patagonia UV sun shirt

  
  Once we were well into summer, and in the southern part of the United States, I thought it was time to buy and test the special sun shirts: UV protection, long sleeves and a hood.

  I'd been riding for a while with someone who used one every day on the Great Divide, so I thought I'd give it a try.
  

  Following a promotion at REI, I picked up one from Patagonia. I should mention this because at the same time my brother bought one from REI, and 8 months later mine hasn't moved a centimetre, whereas his now looks more like a dress than a T-shirt.
  

  So I fell in love with it. As I've spent months in the blazing sun, I've found many advantages:
  

  - Less skin in contact with the sun, so less sun cream to put on and I feel like I'm drinking less too

  - Less sun cream, so I feel less sticky at the end of the day, especially if I can't wash myself off

  - Works just as well in the sun as when it's cool out

  - Also useful on ‘tourist’ days when you have to walk in the sun

  - I was worried about the synthetic material, and in the end the odours aren't that much of a problem, even if you wash it irregularly.

  
  

• Big Agnes copper spur HV UL 1

To cut a long story short, I had to find a tent when I arrived in Victoria. And believe me, I had a few models in my hands, of different brands and prices. I spent a long time hesitating, testing and comparing.

Then I finally fell for the BA, despite the fact that it has a rather mixed reputation.
I'd often heard that it was too fragile, that it lost its waterproofing quickly, that it was too small, that the floor mat was too thin. In short, there's always someone who doesn't like it.

But I have to admit that this is the tent I've used that suits me best. I think the design is clever, everything is simple and effective.
The weight, size and interior space all suit me perfectly.

I've spent the strict majority of nights in it over the past year, and it's in perfect condition, still as functional and satisfying as ever.
I've taken good care of it, like everything else, and I have absolutely nothing to reproach it for.

If I had to change, I'd look mainly at my finances. If I didn't have the budget right now, I'd honestly get a Naturehike. Otherwise, I think I'd go back to the same tent, even though the market has changed a bit this year and some very interesting new tents have appeared.

Note: I cracked a pole one evening in the USA. The next day I sent an e-mail to customer service, and a week later a fresh roll bar was waiting for me in a village in Montana, at no charge.

I also had a mattress from the same brand. Unable to repair it, I sent it in for inspection, and they immediately sent me a new one.
So when it comes to customer service, hats off to them. This is especially true because it happened in the right country, but I have no doubt that the response is fast even abroad.

• Darn tough merino socks

  
  I'm not going to lie to you, I wear the same socks 6 days out of 7, and they often have the pleasure of being washed on the 7th day. Well, not always.
  
  

  But for socks that I've worn every day or so for a year, I'm impressed. There's not a hole in them, they still fit, and I can wear them for days or even weeks without them smelling.
  
  

  I've used quite a few wool socks over the last fifteen years, and this is by far my favourite brand.

  
  

• Dyneema dry bag Offlap
  
  I've had to change dry bags that were tired, punctured or damaged. And I was lucky enough to be able to test Josh's exclusive handmade waterproof bags from Japan.

  I was a bit sceptical about the material and robustness, especially over the long term. And yet, what a little marvel these bags are.
  
  

  I've been lugging a 15L model around on the luggage rack for almost nine months, and it's hardly moved at all. A few small holes due to rubbing, but they were repaired efficiently with the appropriate tape supplied, in 30 seconds. I even stuck it in a barbed wire and pulled it briefly, and a small surface layer of material stretched without damaging the bag or the waterproofing.

• 
  

  For the fork, the small 7L bags are perfect. Double entry, light, strong, waterproof. Perfect height and width dimensions too, which are not easy to find on the market. They're often too wide or too high.

  Or too expensive, for that matter.
  
  

  Because another point to note is that they're handmade in Tokyo by a small brand run by a passionate person, and despite everything, they cost the same or even less than some Sea to Summit bags. So why keep buying bags made by who knows where when you can support a small brand that does things properly?
  

  Link here

• Vera cycling custom cycling cap

  
  I'm a big fan of cycling caps. First of all, I think they're beautiful, and super practical too. I can't wear my helmet without my cap underneath, that's just the way it is.

  And for years now, I've been buying handmade caps from a small brand in the north of France.

  I've had a lot of caps in my hands, and on my head, and very quickly the visor breaks. That's always where the problem comes from.

  But for 5 years I wore the same cap every day, and I just felt like changing. Even I have limits, 5 years dressed the same every day is the limit.

  All joking aside, I'm surprised by the solidity of these caps, which don't budge despite being washed, driven and worn for years.

  And the big plus is that you can even have a unique one, by asking for a personalised cap, and that's pretty cool.
  

  Link here !

• Happy ears ear plugs

  
  I've rarely travelled in an environment as noisy as Central America, and sleeping in a petrol station on the side of the motorway certainly doesn't help matters.

  So unfortunately, sometimes you have to resort to earplugs to get some rest.
  
  

  The problem was that I'd never really found any effective ones that really fit in my ears. Either it took me a long time to get them to fit, only to see them fall out ten minutes later, or they didn't fit at all.

  On top of that, they got dirty very quickly and ended up in the bin.

  Then Happy ears sent me some earplugs. Why not, I thought.

  And ten seconds after opening the box, I realised that I'd finally found a brand that satisfied me.

  Simple, effective, washable, aesthetically pleasing, neatly packed in their box.
  
  

  Usually they don't fit in my ears, like a lot of headphones on the market. But here, I finally found something that worked for me.

  All made from recycled plastic.

  
  

  Link here